>>now let's get some real news. (vo) first, news and analysis with a washington perspective from an emmy winning insider. >>you couldn't say it any more powerfully than that. >> current tv, on the roll. (vo)followed by humor and politics with a west coast edge. >>ah, thank you.

>>it really is incredible. (vo)bill press and stephanie miller, current's morning news block. weekdays six to noon. (woman) drugs won't give you a lot of things on. (man) i take it because it makes me feel good. (woman) it's sociable, and allows me to have fun and stay up all night. (man) i take it most weekends. it's an instant release. (woman) i take it because i like it and that's why people do it.

>>what are people fighting over? they are fighting over minimally processed agriculture commodities that ought to cost pennies a dose and it is because our war on drugs and our attack on the supply, our interdiction, that make these things so incredibly valuable.

>>i think had president calderon not gotten involved to begin with, and let them solve their turf battle, through their own ways, which would have been violent, but it would have been short. they would have gotten it over with, and gone back to the quiet business of drug dealing. so unless you believe that you're going to defeat them and eliminate them somehow, er what calderon has been doing is exacerbating the problem. >> there is too much profit there, we won't eradicate it. we can engage in an arms race with drug dealers as much as you like. if you're doing that, what you're doing is creating the circumstances where the most violent and the most well armed drug dealers are the ones who prevail. so we have to mould

themarket in such a way, that the terrbile gang warfare and violence and corruption is less viable over a number of years. her unique mix of comedy and politics to current tv. >> it's like a reality show, they're just turning cameras on and we just do our thing. >>politically direct to me means no b.s., the real thing, cutting through the clutter. i'm energized to start my show everyday because it's fun, because i care about what's going on in this country, rather than some sort of tired banter it is actual water cooler talk

it's the way people really talk about these issues. we've always considered ourselves a comedy show. let me just say i am not ready for my close up. i think it's important to laugh. i think it will be exciting, because you can't script three hours of radio. what is going on? i can't tell you how many times right wingers call the show and say, "i don't agree with anything you say, but your show is funny as hell." the only thing that can save america now, current tv. can i say that? [ male announcer ] red lobster's crabfest ends soon. hurry in and try five succulent entrees like our tender snow crab paired with savory garlic shrimp. just $12.99. come into red lobster and sea food differently. and introducing 7 lunch choices for just $7.99. salads, sandwiches, and more.

i want the people who watch our show, to be able to come away armed with the facts, and the arguments to feel confident in their positions. i want them to have the data and i want them to have the passion. but it's also about telling them, you're put on this planet for something more. i want this show to have an impact beyond just informing. an impact that gets people to take action themselves. as a human being, that's really

important. this is not just a spectator sport. (woman) it's looked on by society as a bad thing but actually everyone i know has at least tried it. (man) i take it regularly. yes. but i can take it or leave it. (woman)some friends get addicted and do get into all sort of trouble. they should definitely begin help. (man) most people i know are casual users who take it occasionally and carry ... (woman) i know a lot of people who take it who are, you know, respectable members of society and have professional jobs.

>> unfortunately, the way that the laws are created under the un systems, if you're arrested as a drug dealer, then we tend to give you very heavy penalties, whatever your story is. we are very poor at distinguishing between the powerful in the drug market, and the powerless. what ecuador has done is shown us there is a different way of going about this.

(vo) when the clock runs out when the last card is played what will be remembered? explore the lives of the famous and infamous who changed our world forever. experience the drama, back to back to back. of all the hours in all their days, the ones you'll never forget are the final 24. don't miss the final 24 mini-marathon this sunday on current tv. save the best for last.

alright, in 15 minutes we're going to do the young turks. i think the number one thing that viewers like about the young turks is that we're honest. they know that i'm not bs'ing them with some hidden agenda, actually supporting one party or the other. when the democrats are wrong, they know

that i'm going to be the first one to call them out. they can question whether i'm right, but i think that the audience gets that this guy, to the best of his ability, is trying to look out for us.

they start their addiction where most people fear they will end when they are addicted abandoned in the street. most of them, they say that they used drugs because that makes them forget past pain, or future pain and present pain. their life expectancy of all the street kid population in mexico is estimated at 25 years. but most of them, they die of accidents, and other consequences of drug use, or malnitrition. we're talking about roughly thirty thousand street kids in mexico city. we're very optimistic that ten percent can have a place in an organization.

>>the frontier has been closing in and may, much of the product that is supposed to cross the cocaine has risen up, more than 50% cocaine use, both in crack

and powder form, in the past five years.

>>we have detox programs and we mostly use counseling psychological counseling because it's cheap. and good. once they are starting on detox, we teach them whatever trades they have available. then they can start a business or a trade for themselves. we have a little trouble trying to get them integrated into society, because society rejects them. so we work a lot in the community, trying to get rid of the stigma.

>>war on poverty would be better war on inequality would be better. a war on this stigma would be much better. so what we would say, at a social level, what we're trying to do is to make this a health issue. not a criminal issue because the viewpoint of society is that these are criminals, not sick people.

>> unfortunately, illegal drug trade in baltimore is a very big part of baltimore's economy. for the illicit drug trade, they recruit juveniles to run their products, to hold their products, and you will find them from the age of 6 or 7, all the way up. you will talk to some of these young people out here, and they'll tellyou right out back, they don't expect to live beyond the age of 25, if that far. that's why the violence is so easy, because when you have people who

have no hopes, and no dreams that far down the road. believe me, violence is no big deal to them. no big deal to them. you know, this is the norm. for many kids, who grow up in communities where drug dealing is so prevalent. (man) first of all, we're going to talk about the rules. the rules are very simple ... respect. one person talk at a time. and you talk, i don't. i talk, you don't. one voice. one group. we do everything together. right. >>maryland is a tough state. and maryland puts people away for a very, very long time. and, um, mostly kids that come to us, have been in trouble. baltimore had a very high juvenile crime rate. very high juvenile. arrest

rate. i mean the numbers are staggering. the numbers are staggering. two or three thousand children are arrested almost every week. in this city. and they're arrested for drugs. that's how serious the problems are with our children. and they come here, because it has been identified that the child is using drugs. >> what type of distraction can you use when those god... >> i started off with marijuana just a couple of bags of marijuana. and they grow. they grew big. we was making more money and even went into a high drug we started to cocaine. and use that sort of cocaine it's high stuff there. basically, i started from like a look out. people come and tell me look out eh, you see the police yeah, and anything like that, started like that. then you work your way up, you get to get the stuff out. the more money you make the you get, when you get there, haven't seen a group, bringing in $60,000. and i move with a different group, the

next ... unseen, and do it almost a hundred thousand. as you work your way up, you learn about a lot of violence too. i seen my home boys get killed. i been in the court room with them and why they catch a lot of time. i've been locked up away from my family. robbed. everything. that's the, that's why i wanted to leave it alone. because i made a lot of mistakes. so, i think, i think i'm supposed to be sitting in a cell right now but i'm lucky. i really am lucky. these talking points, that the right have, about the "heavy hand of government" ... i want to have that conversation. let's talk about it. really? you're going to lay people off because now the government is going to help you fund your healthcare. really? conversations, not to be confrontational, but to understand what the other side is saying, and i'd like to arm our viewers with the ability to

argue with their conservative uncle joe over the dinner table.

>> i'm incarcerated for conspiracy to distribute crack cocaine, and my sentence is twenty five years, no parole. i grew up in an inner city, of baltimore city, er, housing projects, la-, lafeyette homes which are no longer standing any more, you know, i just got caught up. you know, saying when people get high, they know i got

high on money cash, and you know, what i thought was power and respect. if locking an individual up, whom happens to be a genuine threat to society, then by all means, i say, you know, okay yeah. cause i'm going to be honest with you. some guys that are in here, i'm kind of glad they're in here. but some people, you know, just, got on them drugs, and they got caught up, and on paper, only thing they know that are an offender. and it doesn't go beyond that. i've watched murderers get out before me. i watch paedophiles get out before me. you know, when the court of appeal send you a letter back, saying that you've been denied, they say that it's in the best interests of the public. well, what people were you talking to? cause you haven't talked to the people in my

neighborhood. >> incarceration is not the answer. you will completely destroy your communities, as we have already begun. when the war on drugs was launched under the administration of president nixon, and all this money started flowing in to these law enforcement agencies, we started arresting, people, er, we put a lot of fathers in prison. we started a cycle, of these young black men going to prison in these urban areas, because a criminal conviction will follow you for the rest of your life. it will prevent you from getting employment, it will hinder you from getting housing, it will

hinder you from going to - to school, it will prevent you from getting er, loans. you can get over an addiction, but you'll never get over a conviction. >>i feel as though it was justified in sending me to prison. i don't feel as though it was justified with the title and the stigma that came with it. you're a career criminal. sit in a corner, do your time, you have absolutely nothing coming to you. what that does is, it says that you come into the penal system, because of the amount of time that you have, you're absolutely eligible for nothing. i was deserving of something. but i don't think it should have been this. >>the usa has always been the country that has been most enthusiastic about the war on drugs approach. by heavy levels of arrest, and heavy punishments, and it's usually the poorest and most disenfranchised who suffer the

biggest damage. >>calling this a war on drugs, i think a lot of people see it as a failed war. the country, and quite frankly a lot of people have looked at the drug problem, as mostly a criminal justice problem. president obama's drug strategy will try to balance er, enforcement, sanctions etcetera, with the importance of public health. part of that of course, includes the importance of quality treatment programs that work, prevention programs that can be quite effective. >>the messaging is good. and the recognition that this is very difficult and not simply solved, is very good. whether there are big changes, to how us

institutions operate, the prison institutions, their drug enforcement, structures and their international state department, structures, er remains to be seen. >>what we call the war on drugs has been operated now in earnest internationally for fifty years. we have to acknowledge that we're not succeeding with current policies, and we have to think again. simply being tough on drugs, war on drugs, strong punishments, widespread arrests, this itself does not basically change the nature of the illegal drug market. there were

real negative consequences human, financial and social costs. i think future drug policies should be based on the principles of human rights human security, development and social welfare and health. i believe that we need to develop a real debate, so they can move policy, and at least to move resources from the pressure, from jails, from the judicial system, to treatment, and prevention.

(woman) of course i don't think it is right that people are getting hurt. it's not my fault. (man) we weren't educated properly about the drugs. (woman) we are get told that it's bad for you and you don't hear anything else. (man)and yesterday we got into trouble because of (woman) there's no alternative like fair trade, or ethically friendly cocaine yet so we don't have a choice. >>yes, western societies have to take responsibility for the high level of demand in their er, amongst their citizens. if you're a cocaine user, you can either, confront the fact, and acknowledge that the commodity you buy comes from a dirty trade and has real ramifications down the line, or you can say well, to your governments, give me a legitimate way to buy this substance. people will always take drugs. we just need to manage that phenomenon in a way that is the best for society.